The invention relates generally to a mowing device such as a lawn mower/tractor and in particular to a movable deflector or discharge door therefor.
Lawn tractors and lawn mowers often have a side-located discharge port for the debris cut/vacuumed by a rotating blade or other cutters. This discharge port normally communicates with a chute or deflector extending from the side of the machine that directs the debris downward, outward and away from the operator.
During the mowing process, this extending chute often interferes with stationary obstacles located close to the discharge port side of the mower. This prevents the operator from mowing close to these obstacles.
It is known to have a door-like chute hinged so that the chute or door pivots rearward when an obstacle to forward movement is encountered by the door. This causes the door to shut at least partially to allow the mower to mow closely to the obstacle.
It is often also desirable to pass closely to an obstacle when the tractor or mower is moving in a rearward direction. Heretofore, such a hinged door has interfered with obstacles to rearward movement at least as much as a fixed door.
It has also become desirable for a mower to be able to mulch as well as being able to discharge debris from the side. To provide satisfactory mulching, it is not only important that the mower finely comminute the grass, but also that the debris be spread evenly or hidden within the body of the grass.
It is known to have "mulching" mowers that can be converted to side discharge by opening a door to a side discharge port. These doors tend to result in clumping of the debris with resulting poor hiding because the door disturbs the airflow patterns in the deck, not only when open, but also when closed.